OAKLAND — The Oakland A’s on Friday released artist renderings of their proposed new ballpark on Las Vegas Boulevard just as more details emerged about how the 30,000-seat facility with a retractable roof might be financed.
The A’s proposed new park would sit on nine acres of land at the site of what is now the Tropicana Hotel and Casino, on the south end of the Strip and just a few blocks away from Harry Reid International Airport.
Per a team news release, the orientation of the playing surface “will allow for the outfield to open to the corner of Tropicana and Las Vegas Boulevard.”
“From the minute we stepped onto the Tropicana site nearly two years ago, it was immediately obvious what a fantastic fit it would be for a new A’s ballpark in Las Vegas,” said A’s director of design and owner of Schrock KC Architecture, Brad Schrock said in a statement.
“The natural orientation of the ballpark creates not only some of the best views and connection to the Las Vegas skyline from the seating bowl but also opens up the ballpark to the corner in a way that creates opportunities for an amazing energetic public space with open and expansive views into the ballpark.”
Per the Nevada Independent, lawmakers in the state have proposed a public financing package of no more than $380 million for the construction of the stadium, which will cost an estimated $1.5 billion to build.
The A’s would be responsible for “any and all development and construction cost overruns,” the bill says, unless the overrun was caused by a change mandated by the Las Vegas Stadium Authority.
A funding bill will be introduced in the Nevada Legislature in the coming days, giving lawmakers less than two weeks to consider it before its session ends.
The threat of a special legislative session looms if lawmakers can’t agree on the terms by June 5. Financing isn’t a sure thing either, but the bill does not call for new revenue, so passage would only require a simple majority vote.
Please check back for updates to this story. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
